To the Bitter End: A Tale of the Snow Elves
by ar-elenriel
Summary: Everyone always wonders what happened to the Snow Elves. Their history after the Battle of Moesring is shrouded in mystery. This story explores the possibilities of what really happened.
1. Chapter 1: The Past

**To the Bitter End: A Story of the Snow Elves**

**Credits: **Bethesda owns it all; I own nothing except my OC's.

**This story attempts to explain some of what might have happened to the Snow Elves during the 4,000 years between the Battle of Moesring and the beginning of Skyrim. This is only one point of view on what happened to the survivors. While others have chosen to explain what happened to the "Betrayed" I am exploring what happened to the one's that chose to flee and hide rather than accept slavery. Celenthry is my Bosmeri Dragonborn in game. She is really a Snow Elf and being Bosmer is just her cover story for what she is really doing in Skyrim. **

_Chapter One: The End _

It was over and we knew it was over. Our prince had fallen and our armies had failed. The Snow Prince Altenal's widow Celenthry stood in front of us, tears pouring down her face as she wept for the husband she could not bury. The only debate was over what we would do next. Would we continue to flee until we were pushed to the very borders of Tamriel itself? Would we continue to fight until the last of us died? Would we seek shelter in our ancient abandoned strongholds and temples? Alternatively, would we accept the offer of the Dwemer to exchange our lives for our eyesight and our freedom?

These decisions would shape the future of our people. While many including Calcelmo, Altmer Mage and Court Wizard of Markarth have written of the fate of those that chose blindness and slavery, few have explored the stories of the other survivors. This is our story, the story of those of us that chose to hide in our ancient cities, temples and strongholds, waiting for the day when our people would be renewed.

Some wished for the safest option and sought shelter with the Dwemer. The toxin they were fed robbed them of their eyesight. The males and females separated and, enslaved. Males were condemned to working in the mines for the Dwemer, mining the ore for their dreaded animonunculi from the ground 20 hours per day. The women were forced to become concubines to wealthy male Dwemer. They were raped, tortured, and forced to bear children for their slave masters. The Dwemer did not care that some of the women were elders, and others were married. The children were killed as they were of no use as either mine slaves or concubines.

The genocide of the Snow Elves that began with the Nords after the elves killed 250 Nedic settlers at Saarthal over the Eye of Magnus, ended with the Dwemer who oppressed tortured and enslaved them. Eventually they would become twisted deformed monsters who hated the world they could no longer see. They would attempt to rebel against the Dwemer only to find that the Dwemer had been tinkering with things that ought not to be tinkered with and had disappeared (other than one sick crazed Dwemer in a corprusarium in Morrowind). A shadow of their former selves they would overrun the caves and abandoned Dwemer, Ayleid, and Falmer ruins of Tamriel. They would become known as Falmer, except by the survivors who did not go into slavery who would call them the Betrayed.

Some continued to fight the humans being driven further and further from their native lands in Skyrim until they were forced to merge with the Chimer, Altmer, and Bosmer populations of the Summerset Islands, Valenwood and Morrowind. Many were slaughtered and those that remained were no longer considered pure Snow Elves. They merged with the other Mer and human populations and that was their price for survival. This group went down in the legends of their people as the Refugees who would never return home to their ancestral lands. They would intermarry and integrate with every other race on Tamriel and not even remnants of their historic cultural traditions would be remembered by their descendents.

We are the ones that chose to flee. We fled to our ancient cities, abandoned long ago. We fled to the temples of our Creator and chief God, Auri-el, he whom the human races call Akatosh, Lord of the Dragons. We fled to caves and secret grottos. Eventually, some of the Betrayed who managed to flee the Dwemer shortly after being blinded and enslaved would join us in the secret places. We would survive but we were a broken society. Our leaders were dead, our families broken apart, our public institutions destroyed, and our armies depleted. All we had when we fled was a sad princess in black mourning a husband that she was never allowed to bury.

We did the only thing we could do. We rebuilt our lives piece by piece. However, we never stopped weeping for what we had lost. Celenthry was stronger than any had given her credit for and she proved to be a wise and courageous leader. Soon after giving birth to the only child she and Altenal would ever have, she was up and involved in healing the Betrayed who had escaped slavery, and leading our people to rebuild our temples, schools, economy, and armies. She fought for our survival in the years of our exile, all while mourning her dead husband, and struggling to raise her son, Devenry alone.

We fought against incursions by the Betrayed. They were violent but it seemed as if they remembered "something" about what they had once been. Otherwise, why would they appear to be deliberately seeking out Snow Elf settlements throughout Tamriel? Our mages began seeking a way to communicate with them, and in the meantime our Paladins and mages did the best, they could to protect the populace. This brings us to the year 4E 201 when our Princess Celenthry set out on a journey to Skyrim.

Why Skyrim when it was the place where our great culture had died out, where so much of our blood was spilled? Celenthry was traveling to our old strongholds and temples to see if any had survived the repeated onslaughts of the Betrayed, attacks by the human populations and other disasters that could have occurred in the 4,000 years since our downfall. Little did we know that Celenthry was embarking on an adventure that would make her not only the hero of the Snow Elves (which she already was) but also, the hero of all the races of men and Mer on Tamriel.

We knew of course of the Dragons, the older children of Auri-el and how Auri-els eldest son had rebelled against his father's teachings and sought dominance and power over the other races but, we had never been part of their religious cult. We knew of the powerful humans and Mer that could speak the language of the Dragons.

We knew that they fought against the Dragons and we knew that every race on Tamriel had those gifted with the voice amongst them. What we did not know is the Celenthry was descended of one such individual. As she mounted her horse to cross the border into Tamriel, we felt that change was coming. We just did not know that the machinery of Time was turning and that our people would be freed of 4,000 years of hiding and oppression by her actions.

_Cerevinial, Archivist of the City of Gilded Glass _

_4E201, First of Frostfall_


	2. Chapter 2 Unbound

**To the Bitter End: A Story of the Snow Elves**

Credits: It all belongs to Bethesda except my OC's

_Chapter 2: Unbound_

Celenthry woke up to find herself in the back of a wagon. She was surrounded by Nords, which caused a sense of panic that she barely managed to control. The last time she had been surrounded by Nords was in the aftermath of the Battle of Moesring when her people were forced to flee Solstheim into their old secret strongholds and temples. She cringed as one tall blond Nord said, "So little elf, and your finally awake! You were captured trying to sneak over the border just like us." Celenthry looked at him blankly as she had been unaware that even was a border. Before the downfall of her people, there were few borders as the humans had just been settling on Tamriel. She thought to herself "By Auri-el, how am I to find the rest of my people when the land has changed so much?

The wagon slowly came to a stop. Looking around the wagon Celenthry saw a blond Nord male (the one who had spoken to her) a dirty looking scoundrel who said his name was Lokir, and a middle-aged man in expensive looking clothing with a gag in his mouth. The other wagons held a variety of blond and red haired humans dressed in blue armor and furs that looked rather cheap. Looking behind the wagons, she could see two people on horses, a male dressed in red and brown fancy looking armor and a female who looked to be Altmer dressed in black. Soon the wagon pulled to a stop and Celenthry and the other prisoners were told to step out of the wagon. This made Celenthry panic a little bit since her kin the Betrayed must have experienced something similar as they were led to slavery in the Dwemer cites.

"What's your name prisoner?" asked a tall brown haired Nord in red and brown armor.

"I am Celenthry of Giltinor. I am come here to see if any of my people are still in Skyrim"

"You're an elf Prisoner, there are plenty of your kind in Tamriel, more than we want actually" said the man in red and brown writing things in a notebook. "Wait you aren't like the other elves, you aren't a Altmer, too pale, you aren't a Bosmer, you're too tall and you don't have tan skin and brown or red hair like most of em do, and you aren't a Dunmer either . What race are you prisoner?"

"I am a Snow Elf, your kind might know us as Falmer" said Celenthry looking a little confused.

"Snow elves are just children's stories aren't they? Falmer are those little monsters that live in old Dwemer ruins that that raid the surface sometimes." How can you be a Snow Elf Prisoner?"

Celenthry looked at the soldier as if he was an idiot. "That is what I was born as. The monsters you call Falmer, we call the Betrayed. They are the ones who did not go into hiding in our old hidden cities and religious sites, and did not manage to escape slavery with the Dwemer. "

"I escaped to one of our cities located in what you call Cyrodil, along with several thousand other Snow Elves. The Betrayed and those of us that escaped the Dwemer early on were made to eat toxic fungus that made us blind. The years underground twisted the bodies and minds of the Betrayed, and humans and other elves became fairy tales to the Betrayed- just like the Betrayed are used as bogeyman to scare the children of humans and other elves."

"Are you really going to kill me? Even though I was not even aware, there was a border. This is ridiculous." Celenthry said this last sentence in such an aggravated tone it was clear to everyone she was an Elf.

The soldier looked at another warrior, a dark skinned woman in more expensive looking armor that clearly belonged to an officer. "She goes to the block." Said the officer just as the one called Lokir tried to escape and was shot by an Altmer archer.

"I am sorry- We'll return your body to - where was it again? Oh yes Giltinor, prisoner" said the soldier recording the executions.

Celenthry looked at the human and snorted. "I doubt that since no human has been welcomed in any lands controlled by either pure Snow Elves or the Betrayed in more than 3,000 years. Just dump my body in the nearest Dwemer ruins since you think of my people as little monsters that haunt Dwemer ruins. That will be more than adequate." Celenthry snorted again and stomped off towards the execution block.

While the male officer (whose name was Tullius it seemed) berated that wealthy gagged man (named Ulfric Stormcloak, a Jarl whatever that was) a red haired man was called to the block while a Bosmeri woman in priests robes said some type of prayer. Soon it was her turn and she went and laid her head on the bloody stone block. Then a large scaly monster landed on a nearby tower roof. It was a dragon, only familiar to most (with the exclusion of Celenthry who had been born at a time when the remnants of the Dragon civilization were common) through children's stories and fireside tales. The dragon was large and black and began using what appeared to be magic to stun everyone and to set the surrounding village aflame.

The Imperial Officer, Hadvar, Celenthry thought his name called to her and directed her into a tower. She fled in the door to find that Ralof and Ulfric Stormcloak (the prejudiced one) were also in there. She fled up the stairs, the men close behind her and leapt from the window into an adjoining building. She felt the hot heat of the dragons flaming breath against her back melting the thin layer of ice that covered her skin. "Into the Keep" shouted Hadvar and he Celenthry and Ralof fled into the fortress like building to the left of the building where they had landed after their leap. Once Ralof slammed the huge double doors shut (how that would keep the Dragon out since they were made of wood and the dragon breathed fire, Celenthry didn't know), Hadvar used his dagger to slice the ropes from Celenthry's wrists.

"We need to get word to the Jarls," said Ralof to Hadvar. "They will need to prepare however they can for these attacks"

"If they can prepare for these attacks" stated Hadvar sarcastically. "You, Ralof my friend will need to see if Jarl Ulfric made it out alright, and I will need to see if General Tullius made it out alright. I suggest we head home to Riverwood, where you can check on your sister and her family while I check on my aunt and uncle. From there you can head to Windhelm and I can head to Solitude. Maybe Lady Celenthry will be kind enough to go to Whiterun and inform Jarl Balgruuf before continuing her own journey."

"I agree. Lady Celenthry will you be kind enough to make a stop in Whiterun and tell the Jarl about the dragon before continuing to look for your kin?" asked Ralof with a hopeful look in his eyes.

"Is that on the way to Forgotten Vale?"

Both Hadvar and Ralof looked confused as if they did not know where Celenthry was talking about. "So Forgotten Vale truly has been forgotten. Once it was the center of worship for the Snow Elves, our great Sanctuary of Auri-El was there and many pilgrims went to worship. My older brother Vrythur and my little brother Gelebor were both priests. Vrythur was the Arch-Curate and Gelebor was a Knight Paladin of the Order of Auri-El," Celenthry said sadly.

Ralof looked even more puzzled. "Who's Auri-El?

Celenthry wondered what she had got herself into with these two and then calmly said "Auri-El is called Akatosh, God of Dragons by the human races."

Hadvar grinned as he said "Oh that would be why we don't know who he is then. Most Nords used to worship Talos Stormcrown before your cousins the Altmer decided they had the right to decide who was a Divine or Daedric Prince and who wasn't."

It was Celenthry's turn to look puzzled. "Who's Talos? And why do Nords worship him, during my day you all worshipped Kyne, or whichever of the Ataeda (Aedra and Daedra) you chose to worship."

Ralof looked serious and went into a mode that Celenthry knew well from her husband and brother Vrythur (both were intellectuals-Vrythur being a mage and the Snow Prince simply being a bookworm). She called it lecture mode. Ralof quickly began explaining, "Talos Stormcrown or Tiber Septim, as he is known outside Skyrim was a Dragonborn warrior who became the first to unify all the human races of Tamriel as a single Empire. For doing this Akatosh and the other Divines caused him to ascend to Atherius and become one of the Divines himself."

Celenthry gave a nod of understanding and said "Rather like Arkay who was a Mer shopkeeper in the Mythic Era who was mortal but ascended to the Divines after discovering the tale of how life and death came to be only to die himself…."

Hadvar grinned and said, "Yes exactly thought Talos became much more well-known as a hero before he died."

Celenthry thought for a moment than asked Ralof and Hadvar "Why are my Altmer cousins trying to stop you from worshipping this Talos? They should have learned that trying to enforce our dominion over humankind is only doomed to fail. There are after all, several examples in Mer history including, the Ayleids, us Snow Elves, and the Dwemer. The Snow Elves are nearly extinct but for a few thousand pure Snow Elves and the Betrayed, and no one has seen either an Ayleid or a Dwemer in over 250 years."

"Yah I know but Tamriel seems to breed stubborn just like it breeds Giants, Draugr, Dragons, and mammoths. Guess the Altmer have absorbed some of that in the last 5,000 years. The Aldmeri Dominion or Thalmor as they are called have taken over the Altmer and tried to take over all of Tamriel twice now. Sorry Lady Celenthry but, your people as in the Mer as a whole have a bit of a reputation for being arrogant and assuming you're superior to everyone else and the Aldmeri Dominion takes it to the extreme "said Hadvar.

"Unfortunately, I realize that" Celenthry almost whispered as memories of her people (especially her beloved Prince) began to overwhelm her.

"Sorry to bring up bad memories" said Ralof "But, here's Riverwood. We'll stop and talk to my sister first since the Sawmill is the first building in town on your left. Then we'll go talk to Hadvar's uncle, Alvor."

Celenthry thought about the actions of her people, remaining quiet while both Alvor and Gerdur thanked her for saving their kin and asked her to stop in Whiterun on her journey. She noticed that both Alvor and Hadvar's family were very different from the Nord's she had known. While she did notice the prejudice against Mer kind still existed especially, amongst those that supported Ulfric Stormcloak, it was not blatant hatred as it had been in her day. The Altmer were more the focus of everyone's hatred and Hadvar told her as they ate dinner at his uncle's house that the only place that other races of Mer experienced outright hatred was in Windhelm. Mostly due to Ulfric's prejudices and refusal to do anything about the situation or to accept that not all Mer were Altmer or that not all Altmer supported the Aldmeri Dominion. He pointed out that in Ulfric's mind the only good Mer was a dead Mer but not all Nords thought that way, not anymore at least.

That night Celenthry slept in the Sleeping Giant Inn, in the first clean warm bed she had slept in since living Giltinor. While she missed her home, she looked forward to finding her family once more. Little did she know the chaos and adventure that awaited her once she reached Whiterun. She would begin an adventure that would forever change the world of Tamriel.


End file.
